[Gomaeen] Fwd: LEEC WEEKLY eNEWS: Events, Grants, Contests, Resources
GOMA Environmental Education Network
-------- Original Message --------
| Subject: | [LEEC News] LEEC WEEKLY eNEWS: Events, Grants, Contests, Resources |
|---|---|
| Date: | Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:33 -0600 (CST) |
| From: | Louisiana Environmental Education Commission <vor...@wlf.la.gov> |
LEEC WEEKLY eNEWS: Events, Grants, Contests, Resources
A Compilation of Environmental Education News from Across Louisiana
EVENTS
2012 Environmental Education Symposium – TWO
WEEKS AWAY!
There is still time to register for the 2012
Environmental Education Symposium at the Lafayette
Crowne Plaza in Lafayette, Louisiana on March
9-10, 2012.
“...After attending many national, regional, and
local conferences, I’ve concluded that the LEEC
Symposium is one of the very best. The main reason I
support and encourage so many other teachers about the
LEEC/LEEA conference is that our students need to
understand the natural world here in Louisiana. They
need to become familiar with their own landbase and
not dread or fear it. Or even worse, experience this
natural world here in Louisiana only via a television
screen or monitor. LEEC shares a wealth of information
and resources with teachers about such topics.” --Missy
Durham, Baton Rouge. Read
more of her story HERE
EE Symposium Updates:
• Get Your ROOTS on! Short
Course – transportation has been paid for through a
recent generous donation, reducing it to $10! Take
advantage of this great opportunity and sign up today!
• Canoe,
Explore… A Watershed Lesson and Tour!
is FULL. We are no longer accepting
registrations for this short course.
• Low on funds and your school is not
paying?! Contact Venise Ortego (vor...@wlf.la.gov)
and ask about our limited registration scholarships!
All Symposium forms and related information can be found
on our website: www.wlf.louisiana.gov/environmental-education-symposium.
For more information: Venise Ortego, EE Coordinator,
337-948-0255, vor...@wlf.la.gov
Hosted by the Louisiana Environmental Education
Commission and the Louisiana Environmental Education
Association.
Gulf of Mexico Coral Reef Expedition for
Educators (Deadline: February 27)
Down Under, Out Yonder (DUOY) – July 6-11, 2012
Application deadline for the Coral Reef Expedition is
approaching! APPLY NOW!
Dive into the depths of the Flower Garden Banks and
explore the Gulf’s coral reef treasures.
Any formal and non-formal educator who is SCUBA
certified is invited to attend. The cost is $250, plus
travel to and from Freeport, TX and SCUBA gear.
Everything else is covered once aboard the
vessel. MUST be diver certified plus provide own
equipment (minus tank). For more information, plus
exciting videos and pictures, visit: www.gulfmex.org/education-training/down-under-out-yonder/
Summer Research Internship (SumRI) Position
Available (Deadline: May 15)
The LSU Department of Environmental Sciences seeks
applications for one Summer Research Internship (SumRI)
participant position. The high school student will spend
6 weeks in the summer of 2012 conducting research in a
marine microbiology laboratory. The research will
include microbiology, molecular biology, ecological
impacts of Deepwater Horizon oil, field collection of
samples in Port Fourchon, LA and in Grand Isle, LA,
analysis of phytoplankton and zooplankton, use of remote
sensing for ground-truthing data, and other topics of
interest. The student will be expected to maintain a
laboratory notebook and participate in weekly lab
meetings. At the end of the 6 weeks, the student will
present his/her findings in a 30-minute presentation and
in the form of a scientific manuscript. The student will
be conducting research in the laboratory of Dr. Crystal
N. Johnson www.environmental.lsu.edu/johnson.shtml.
Students will receive a tax-free stipend of up to $750
upon successful completion of the SumRI internship. The
SumRI internship participant will be selected based on
grade point averages (minimum 3.0), a 500-word essay
indicating interest in science, formal interviews, and a
letter of recommendation from each of the following: 1
science teacher, 1 non-science teacher, and 1 community
representative.
Please submit the following application
materials to Dr. Crystal N. Johnson (cnjo...@lsu.edu): 1
copy of student's report card, 1 essay, and 3
recommendation letters (in sealed envelopes or sent
separately). Application deadline is May 15, 2012.
GRANTS/AWARDS
Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes Awards
(Deadline: February 27)
Build-A-Bear Workshop® launches its ninth annual search
for Huggable Heroes® - inspiring young leaders who have
a commitment to serve, help others, and make a
difference in their community. Kids, ages eight to 18,
can be nominated through February 27. The 10 selected
Huggable Heroes will each receive $10,000 ($7,500 in the
form of an educational scholarship from Build-A-Bear
Workshop and $2,500 from the Build-A-Bear Workshop
Foundation to be donated to the 501(c)(3) charity or
Canadian cause of their choice). Deadline is
February 27. Apply
here.
Disney Friends for Change Grants (Deadline:
February 29)
Disney
Friends for Change Grants offer young
change-makers an opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant
to help make a lasting, positive change in the world.
Whether you are passionate about protecting the planet,
providing meals to those who need it or giving kids just
like you the resources they need to star in their own
play, be an athlete or an artist, you can be a Friend
for Change! Whatever your interests, a Disney Friends
for Change Grant can help you make a difference for
people, communities and the planet. Youth ages 5-18
located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia
are eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant. Deadline
is February 29.
Let's Play Maintenance Grants (Deadline: February 29)
Thanks to generous support from Dr Pepper Snapple Group,
KaBOOM!
will be awarding grants of $750 each to communities this
year who wish to make their playgrounds cleaner, safer
and more inviting. The Let's Play Spruce grants are
designed to reward communities that have maintained and
spruced their playspaces since their playground build.
If you've done a "spruce up" project at your playground
that involved volunteers in the last 6 months, you are
eligible to apply. Alternatively, if you are a community
that needs to refill the wood fiber playground surfacing
at the playground, you can apply for $750 to be used
towards the purchase of the surfacing. Deadline
is February 29.
2012 Do Something Awards (March 1)
The Do Something Awards (formerly the BR!CK Awards)
identifies exceptional young social entrepreneurs,
activists, and community leaders who have a significant
social impact. The Do Something Award nominees and
winners are the pivotal "do-ers" in their fields and
causes. For this year's awards five finalists will be
selected and rewarded with a $10,000 community grant,
participation in the third Do Something Awards TV show
on VH1, media coverage, and continued support from DoSomething.org.
Of those five nominees, one will be selected to win the
Grand Prize of $100,000 grant. Deadline is
March 1.
Let's Play Community Construction Grants (Deadline:
March 16)
Dr Pepper Snapple & KaBOOM! are excited to offer
$15,000 Let's Play Playground Construction Grants to
qualifying organizations within the U.S. wishing to
build brand new playgrounds using the KaBOOM!
community-build model. Grantees will plan their project,
and share best practices and challenges through the
KaBOOM! website. For more information on eligibility
requirements and how to apply, visit KaBOOM! Deadline
is March 16.
State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB) Grants
(Deadline: May 4)
Applicants may request from $25,000 to $100,000 based on
a required budget which outlines project expenses. To be
eligible to receive a grant from the YAB, applying
organizations you must be a public K-12, charter, or
higher education institution; non-profit organizations
are also eligible if they are able to demonstrate how
they plan to impact student achievement within the
public K-12 curriculum. See more details here.
All applicants must have a youth contact and adult
administrator, as the programs must be youth-driven and
youth-led. Deadline is May 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Apply
here.
Special Olympics Project Unify Grants
(Deadline: May 31)
The goal of Project UNIFY is to activate youth around
the country to develop school communities where all
young people are agents of change - fostering respect,
dignity, and advocacy with and for people with
intellectual disabilities by utilizing the programs and
initiatives of Special Olympics. To be eligible, you
must be between the ages of 12 to 20, or a current
undergraduate student in college. A Special Olympics
North America program is required to be your main
partner organization. Projects must demonstrate the core
essence of service-learning. Budgets for projects can
range from $100 to $5,000. Deadline is May
31st. Application
here.
CONTESTS
Poster Proposal Deadline for RAE National
Conference Extended to March 15
Restore America's Estuaries – 6th National Conference on
Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration
October 20-24, 2012 Tampa, Florida, USA
Posters will be featured in the Expo Hall throughout the
conference and will have a dedicated session within the
Conference Program schedule. All aspects of habitat
restoration from all coastal habitat types will be
included. Students are particularly encouraged to submit
and will be automatically eligible for the Student
Poster Contest, for which cash prizes will be awarded.
Limited scholarships will be available, check the main
conference site [www.estuaries.org/conference]
in late spring for the application.
All poster proposals must be submitted through the 6th
National Conference program website: http://program.estuaries.org/
For general Conference information: 6th
National Conference
Sponsorship: Harvey Potts (hpo...@estuaries.org)
Exhibitor & Scholarship: Meg Beiter (mbe...@estuaries.org)
General Conference Information: Elsa Carlisle (confe...@estuaries.org)
Conference Program/Call for Proposals: Suzanne Giles
Simon (pro...@estuaries.org)
SunWise Poster Contest Grades K-8 (Deadline:
April 1, 2012)
Overexposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer, eye
damage, and immune system suppression. Unfortunately,
one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their
lifetime. Sun protection is especially important for
children because practicing sun safety from a young age
can decrease risk for developing skin cancer. Students
in grades K-8 can help raise awareness about sun safety
and win great prizes by entering the 2012 SunWise with
SHADE Poster Contest, organized by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency SunWise program and the
SHADE Foundation of America. The due date is April
1st, and the national winner will receive a
family trip to Disney World and a Shade 'N Net shade
structure for their school. Contest details are
available at www.epa.gov/sunwise/postercontest.html.
Winning posters will be displayed by the National
Children's Museum during summer 2012.
RESOURCES
Natural Areas Registry Newsletter
The Louisiana Natural Heritage Program February 2012
Issue of the Natural Areas Registry Newsletter is
attached.
The LDWF Louisiana Conservationist Winter
Issue
The La. Department of Wildlife & Fisheries’
Louisiana Conservationist winter issue is available
online: http://louisianaconservationist.org
December 2011 Gulf of Mexico News
The December 2011 edition of the Gulf of Mexico News is
now available online at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/news/gomexnews.html
Teach Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
Scholastic is offering materials for use with Dr. Seuss’
The Lorax movie for grades 3-5 and 6-8. The LA
Environmental Science Comprehensive Curriculum has a
Lorax-themed activity (Unit 3 Activity 2) based on the
book and original video. This unique science program
draws upon themes from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (both
the book and the movie) to help you and your students
explore what it takes to build a sustainable future.
Using these standards–based lessons
and worksheets,
students can better understand what they can do to use
and preserve natural resources like forests, water, and
air.
With these materials created by Scholastic with the
support of Universal Studios and HP, students will:
-Explore the concept of environmental
sustainability
-Interpret information from graphs and
charts
-Write about their experiences in
trying to make sustainable choices
-Record their personal experiences in
working with others to manage environmental resources
Read Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax or
see the movie opening on March 2. Then visit www.scholastic.com/thelorax
for lessons, printables, family activities, a writing
contest, a student
game, and the movie
trailer!
Find out about wetland outreach activities including
symposiums, conferences, meetings, educational
opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and related
support material at the Louisiana Unified Coastal
Community Calendar at http://lacoast.gov/calendar/
Venise Ortego, Environmental Education Coordinator,
337-948-0255, vor...@wlf.la.gov
Juliet Raffray, Environmental Education Assistant
Coordinator, 225-765-0124, jraf...@wlf.la.gov
Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – www.wlf.louisiana.gov/eec